Onion CEO Steve Hannah has now taken to the publication's Facebook page to offer a "personal apology" to Wallis and the Academy.

Confirming that disciplinary action will be taken against the individuals involved, Hannah wrote: "[The tweet] was crude and offensive - not to mention inconsistent with The Onion's commitment to parody and satire, however biting.

"No person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorous comment masquerading as satire."

Hannah, who pointed out that the tweet was removed within an hour of its posting, promised that "new and tighter Twitter procedures" will be introduced to prevent a similar incident in the future.

"Miss Wallis, you are young and talented and deserve better," he concluded. "All of us at The Onion are deeply sorry."